Commodity Codes Table

On this page:

Use this table option to create records on the products and services purchased by your organization. The codes identifying these records enable the Vendor Bidding System to track the item and related pricing information.

The Commodity Codes table is shared with the Purchasing System. Records can be added, changed, or deleted in Vendor Bidding, Purchasing, or both systems.

Vendor Bidding also includes a feature for creating bids for commodities that are not in the Commodity Codes table. The + Commodity item in the Bid Catalog Information page enables users to add commodities to the table and create a bid at the same time. For details, refer to Adding and Linking Commodities.

Menu Path: Vendor Bidding > Reference Tables > Reference Tables > Commodity Codes

Action Bar Item

The Commodity Code Information page's Action Bar displays the following item when you are adding a table record and after you select a record for updating:

Notes Displays a page for entering notes on a commodity. You can store up to 50 lines of text, using a maximum of 55 characters per line.

Structuring Commodity Codes

Before using the Vendor Bidding System, you need to set up your Commodity Codes table. This table must include a separate record for each product and service you purchase.

Commodity Codes

Commodity records are identified by commodity codes, which can consist of up to 13 characters. Usually, only numeric characters and dashes are used, although letters can be included if desired. The dashes are inserted to create subgroups within a code, for example, 111-11-11-111.

How you structure your codes depends entirely on your bidding and purchasing requirements. Rather than create your own codes, you may want to adopt a coding system developed by a purchasing organization. Besides eliminating the work required in setting up a unique set of codes, using an existing system ensures uniformity and consistency. It also offers the possibility that your codes will be recognized outside of your organization.

Commodity Classes

The first three digits of a commodity code identify what is referred to as a commodity class. A class encompasses all like products or services. For example, the class 315 might include writing supplies. The additional digits in codes beginning with this class code would identify more specific products within the category, such as ballpoint pens, pencils, markers, and so forth.

Classes are important in Vendor Bidding because they are the key to the types of commodities vendors carry. When you add a vendor to the Vendor List table in either Fund Accounting or Purchasing, you can use the Commodity Class Codes page to enter the classes that apply to the vendor.

While this is not required, we recommend that you create a separate record to identify each commodity class you use. Its code should only include the three digits identifying the class. Be sure to include a description, since the purpose of this record is to provide headers for your classes when you generate reports.

If you do not create a class record for a class, the description of the first commodity in the class displays for the entire commodity class. For example, if you have commodities 202-00-00-000 and 202-00-00-001, the description for the first of these displays whenever you enter commodity class 202 in a page or whenever this class is referenced in a report. However, if you have a separate record for code 202, then the system uses this description for the class.

Adding a Commodity record

Select Vendor Bidding > Reference Tables > Reference Tables > Commodity Codes to display the Commodity Code Information page.
Click Add New.
Complete the fields in the Commodity Data section. For details, refer to the Fields section below.
Click OK.

Updating an existing Commodity record

Select Vendor Bidding > Reference Tables > Reference Tables > Commodity Codes to display the Commodity Code Information page.
In the Search Criteria section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
Select the record you want, and then click OK.
Change field values as needed. For details, refer to the Fields section below.
Click OK.

Deleting a Commodity record

Select Vendor Bidding > Reference Tables > Reference Tables > Commodity Codes to display the Commodity Code Information page.
In the Search Criteria section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
Select the record to delete.
Click Delete.
In the Confirmation dialog, click Yes.

Note

You cannot delete records that are being used in existing transactions.

Generating the Commodity Table report

Select Vendor Bidding > Reference Tables > Reference Tables > Commodity Codes to display the Commodity Code Information page.
In the Search Criteria section, enter criteria identifying the records to list, and then click Find. To run an advanced search, use the Advanced button.
Click Print to display the Print Commodity Table page.
Select a radio button to define the report's sort order:
Alphabetic Sequence - sorts alphabetically, using the first line of the commodity's description. The sort order's default file name is commoda.rpt.
Code Sequence - sorts by commodity code. The sort order's default file is commodc.rpt.
Click OK.
In the Print window, specify how to generate the report, and then click OK.

Entering notes for a Commodity record

In the Commodity Code Information page, click Notes on the Action Bar after you start entering a new commodity or after you retrieve an existing commodity for updating.
In the Notes page's Commodity Code field:
- Press <Tab> to default the current code from the Commodity Code Information page.
  or
- Enter the code of another commodity, and then press <Tab>. This retrieves the commodity's text record, if one exists.
Enter or edit your notes as needed. The page accepts 50 lines, with a maximum of 55 characters per line.
Click OK to save the record.

Fields

Field	Description
Commodity Data Section	The following fields are used in adding and updating records:
Commodity Code	Code identifying the commodity. The first three positions of the code identify the commodity class. For more information on commodity codes and classes, refer to the section above on Structuring Commodity Codes. Character/13, including dashes]
Status Code	Code identifying a commodity’s status. You can use your own codes as needed, for example, A for Active or I for Inactive. Character/1
Stock Number	Code used to track a commodity in your inventory. Often referred to as an inventory control code, the code can be based on whatever numbering system you use to identify stock. Character/13 When stock is recorded in Purchasing, the stock number defaults from the commodity code on the purchase order. If you use Warehouse Inventory and the purchase order’s shipping location is also your warehouse location, the inventory level for this item will be updated with the quantity ordered. When the item is recorded in the Warehouse Inventory, the quantity received is also updated. However, if a stock number is not entered, the item cannot be recorded in the inventory system.
Measure	Unit of measure for ordering this commodity; such as EACH, GALLON, or CASE/24. This is the default measure when you enter bids for this item, but you can override the default if needed. Character/13
Bid Required	Checkbox indicating whether a bid should be required for this commodity. Items that require a bid cannot be entered on a purchase order in the Purchasing System until the bid process is complete. Selecting the box has these effects: Enables the commodity to be used in Vendor Bidding’s Bid Catalog features. Enables requisition line items that include the commodity to be converted to a bid. Selects the Bid Item checkbox on requisition and bid line items by default, though it can be cleared to exclude the line item if needed.
Important	If you do not select the Bid Required field, a line item for this commodity cannot be converted from a requisition to a bid, nor can users access the Bid Item checkbox when adding bid line items for the commodity. However, if a commodity’s Bid Required field is not selected, the commodity can be added to the Bid List manually.
Description	Five lines describing the commodity. The first line of the description displays in pages when you enter the commodity’s code. It is also the basis for sorting commodities in various reports and processes. Character/50, each line To enter additional text on a commodity, use Action Bar's Notes item to display the Notes page. For details, refer to the Action Bar Item and Procedures sections above. The system updates the following fields when bids are converted to purchase orders in Vendor Bidding and when requisitions are converted to purchase orders and encumbered in Purchasing. The fields are also updated when purchase orders are posted from Purchasing to Fund Accounting.
Last Price	Most recent per-unit price paid for the commodity. Decimal/12,4 This price can be used to determine the minimum bid amount when running the Convert Requisition to Bid option. The last price also defaults to the Unit Price field when you enter a requisition or purchase order line item for this commodity. When the commodity is included in a purchase order, the system updates the Commodity record’s Last Price field to show the per-unit price paid from the purchase order line item. When this update occurs, the system moves the Commodity record’s existing Last Price field value to the 2nd Price field and the existing 2nd Price field value to the 3rd Price field. The existing 3rd Price field value is deleted from the Commodity record.
2nd Price	Second most recent unit price paid for the commodity. Decimal/12,4
3rd Price	Third most recent unit price paid for the commodity. Decimal/12,4
Date	Three fields for the dates of the purchases reflected in the Last Price, 2nd Price, and 3rd Price fields.
Vendor	Three fields for codes identifying the vendors associated with the Last Price, 2nd Price, and 3rd Price fields.
Qual Prod List	Qualified Product List. Depending on your procedures, you may use this field to identify a commodity as a qualified product or as part of a group of products. This text appears on the Bid List report. Character/24